The chief did not identify the woman, who is about 60, pending notification of relatives. State and local fire officials determined the cause of the early morning fire was careless smoking.

The blaze ignited in a first-floor living room near a couch at 86 Neil St. shortly before 4 a.m. Residents on one side of the duplex heard smoke detectors, called 911 and told first responders someone might still be in the building, Breen said.

Firefighters arrived within three minutes of the call and ran into the other unit, but heavy fire and smoke briefly drove them back, Breen said.

"Fire was above and all around them," the chief said.

A second crew doused the inferno with water a minute or two later, allowing firefighters to remove the woman from the living room, Breen said.

“She was already deceased,” he said.

Breen is unsure where the woman was when the blaze started. Investigators found water running in the kitchen sink and believe the victim may have tried to fight the fire herself, according to the state Fire Marshal’s office.

Neighbor Joe Sestito, who has lived across the street for almost 20 years, said the woman had a physical disability that likely hindered her from escaping.

“She had problems with her legs and walking,” Sestito said.

The woman frequently smoked cigarettes, Sestito said. One of the few times he went inside her home he saw ashtrays filled with discarded cigarette butts.

“I think smoking might have done it,” he said.

Nine fatal fires this year have been the result of smoking-related incidents, said Deputy Fire Marshal Maribel Fournier.

“Recently, as smokers have moved outdoors, there have been dozens of outside fires started by the improper disposal of smoking materials,” Fournier said in a statement. “Whether indoors or out, put cigarettes out all the way, every time, in a sturdy ashtray or a can with sand to prevent smoking fires.”

Sestito said the woman's death is heartbreaking. He said she woman was quiet and kept to herself. When she came home from work each night, Sestito waved or flipped on his front light on and off to say hello.

“She was a good kid,” he said. “She more or less stayed to her house. It’s sad, really sad.”

Rosemary Losso, who walks her dog down Neil Street every morning, did not know the victim, but her death is tragic.

“Every day is a gift,” she said.

Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.